Global Analog Photo Booth Dataset
An open-access, community-verified directory of over 1,600 chemical, dip-and-dunk photo booths across 40+ countries. Published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
Verified Machines
Countries Represented
Update Cadence
Open Access License
Verification Methodology & Quality Controls
Booth Beacon maintains strict photochemical inclusion criteria to ensure dataset fidelity for cultural researchers, urban planners, and photography enthusiasts.
Exclusively Photochemical
Every entry must utilize authentic silver-halide photographic paper and internal liquid chemical reversal tanks (dip-and-dunk). Thermal transfer, dye-sublimation, and digital inkjet kiosks are categorically excluded.
Triangulated Geolocation
Coordinates (WGS 84) are verified via street-level visual confirmation, operator maintenance logs, and high-precision user check-ins to ensure exact physical placement within venues.
Continuous Status Auditing
Our community signal pipeline processes venue closures, mechanical breakdowns, chemistry replenishments, and relocations daily, deprecating inactive records within 72 hours of verification.
Data Dictionary & Schema
| Field | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| id | UUID | Unique persistent identifier | 9b1deb4d-3b7d-4bad-9bdd-2b0d7b3dcb6d |
| name | String | Name of booth or host venue | Rainbo Club Photo Booth |
| machine_model | String | Cabinet model & manufacturer | Auto-Photo Model 14 |
| process_type | String | Photochemical process (B&W or Color) | black_and_white_reversal |
| latitude / longitude | Float | WGS 84 Coordinates | 41.9038, -87.6773 |
| city / country | String | Location locality & ISO country | Chicago, US |
| is_operational | Boolean | Live operational status | true |
| last_verified_at | ISO Date | Timestamp of latest physical verification | 2026-08-20T12:00:00Z |
How to Cite This Dataset
If you use this dataset in academic publications, journalistic reporting, mapping tools, or cultural research, please provide attribution according to the CC BY 4.0 license.
@dataset{booth_beacon_2026,
author = {Booth Beacon Research Group and Kaykas-Wolff, Jascha},
title = {Global Directory of Photochemical Analog Photo Booths},
year = {2026},
publisher = {Booth Beacon},
version = {2026.08},
url = {https://boothbeacon.org/data},
note = {Licensed under CC BY 4.0}
}Automated Ingestion & Live API Access
In addition to static JSON/CSV snapshots, Booth Beacon provides dynamic REST endpoints for research integrations and real-time mapping clients.